Health Care ~ Public Option...7/30/09

Public Plan Option
by : Bill Press

Don't look now, but Democrats are about to abandon their commitment to a public plan option, if they haven't already done so. In every public appearance, President Barack Obama continues to push the public plan option as an essential element of any healthcare reform legislation. But,For the second day in a row yesterday, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters the president was open to all options for providing more choice and more competition, including the insurance cooperatives proposed by the Senate Finance Committee. In fact, Gibbs told NBC's Chuck Todd that at this point the president had “no preference” between the co-ops and the public plan option. No preference ? That's a long way from the full-throated endorsement of the public plan option we've heard from President Obama on the stump. What's going on? I think it's pretty clear what's going on: The White House is laying the groundwork for dumping the public plan option in order to win a few Republican votes for healthcare...Furthermore, there has been a decrease from 2002 to 2008 of small businesses (three to nine employees) offering health insurance — 58 percent down to 49 percent. If so, it's a total betrayal of what the president's been talking about. Regional, nonprofit insurance co-ops may be a good idea, and they have worked in some rural parts of the country, but they're no substitute for a national, Medicare-like, affordable public plan option that would make health insurance instantly available to all who can't afford it. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) says Republicans will never vote for healthcare legislation that includes a public plan option. It's time for President Obama to say he will never sign a healthcare bill without one.

Goodyear Posts Loss ! Stock Gain...7/30/09

Associated Press

Goodyear posts 2Q loss of $221 million, Sales drop...
07.30.09, CLEVELAND --

Goodyear Tire & Rubber says it lost $221 million in the second quarter as U.S. auto industry upheaval and the global recession cut sales 25 percent from a year ago.The Akron-based tire maker said Thursday it lost 92 cents per share on sales of $3.9 billion. In the second quarter of 2008, Goodyear earned $75 million, or 31 cents per share, on sales of $5.2 billion. Excluding one-time charges for plant-closing expenses, asset write-offs and others items, Goodyear lost 35 cents per share. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had expected a loss of 70 cents per share. Goodyear, the biggest U.S.-based tiremaker and third largest globally, operates more than 60 plants in 25 countries and has 75,000 employees.

Goodyear Tire shares accelerate on 2Q results

Associated Press, 07.30.09,

NEW YORK --
Shares of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. soared on Thursday after the tire maker posted a narrower than-expected second-quarter loss and said it is seeing early signs of an economic recovery. Shares gained $1.81, or 13 percent, to $15.70 in midday trading. The Akron-based company said it lost 92 cents per share on sales of $3.9 billion during the quarter. Wall Street analysts expected the loss to be twice as high. Goodyear's CEO, Robert Keegan, said early signs of an economic recovery were showing, but any improvement remains "fragile at this stage and varied around the globe." KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Saul Ludwig upgraded the stock to "Buy" from "Hold" in a note to investors on Thursday. He cited the company's better-than-expected earnings, lower raw material costs, cost-cutting initiatives and a likely improvement in replacement tire demand. Ludwig also raised his price target to $20, implying a premium of 44 percent over its Wednesday close of $13.89. Separately, Deutsche Bank analyst Rod Lache called the company's cost saving during the quarter "impressive" and said a new labor contract should promote savings through the year. Shares of Goodyear have surged 133 percent since the start of the year. The stock has traded between $3.17 and $23.10 in the past 52 weeks.

Editorial : Negotiations continue with the USWA ! Ya think ? Loss of earnings = Higher Stock prices ? Whewwwwwww...! Blows my mind.

A New Heart for Zack Terry !... The Wait is Over ! 7/28/09

Life Begins after the Transplant...The Wait is Over !

I have just learned that a Heart has been located for Zack Terry ! I have talked with his Mom and she is thrilled, as she should be. Zack, has had a rough time the last few days. V-tech - runs of fast beats. He has had to shocked twice or three times to save his life. I know, I have been shocked, not much fun ! This is all very frightening, but the wait is over. Please say a prayer for Zach and his family. Dr. Karla Christian, will be doing the surgery. Send one up for her also ! I needed a Little good news today.

Health Care Reform Now !...7/28/09

Remember: Today Is National Call-In Day for Health Care

By: Tula Connell, Jul 28, 2009

Remember: Today is National Call-in Day for Health Care. We all need to call our representatives in the U.S. House today and tell them to support the House health care reform bill, (H.R. 3200). Call 1-877-264-4226 or e-mail or fax your lawmaker with the same message. Click here to find your representative and his or her contact information. The House bill contains a public health insurance plan option and shared responsibility, including an employer “pay or play” requirement—and does not tax health care benefits working families receive through their jobs. But get this: The AP is reporting today that the public option is in danger—making it even more necessary for us to tell Congress. National Call-in Day is sponsored by Health Care for America Now! (HCAN) and supported by AFL-CIO unions, state federations, central labor councils, community allies and health care advocates.

Editorial : Republicans are using the old scare tactics to defeat this bill, Do not let them derail health care reform again ! Call today. Click on the title of this article or the link provided here > http://www.house.gov.tanner/ <>

Organ/Donation..."The Gift of Life"! Things You Need to Know !

Organ Transplant Waiting List...7/03/2009

National List :

Kidney --- 80,092

Liver--- 15,821

Pancreas---1,495

Kidney/Pancreas---2,222

Heart---2,838

Lung---1,911

Heart/Lung---81

Intestine---221


Total : 102,282


Tennessee :

Kidney---1,782

Liver---227

Pancreas---12

Kidney/Pancreas---19

Heart---104

Lung---28

Heart/Lung---0

Intestine---0

Total: 2,155

Did You Know That:

The largest group of Americans awaiting organ transplants are those ages 50 - 64.

More than 40,000 people will be added to the national transplant waiting list this year. Just over 28,000 transplants were performed last year.

More than 20,000 organs, that could be transplanted are buried or creamated each year.

People of all ages can be tissue and organ donors. Overall health, not age, is what`s important.

Organs or parts of organs, that can be transplanted include, kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas, cornea, and intestine. The Heart is the only organ that cannot come from a living donor.

Organ donation does not conflict with the tenets of any major religion.

You can register to donate at most state motor vehicle departments.

Even if you are a registered donor, family members ultimately decide whether your organs may be donated after you die. So clarifying your wishes to friends and family is essential.

"Give The Gift of Life, Be an Organ/Tissue Donor, It`s the Masonic thing to Do " !

Health Care Hits Home ! Don Jones, Htx.#189-Vanderbilt

Health Care Crisis...You Bet`cha...
By : Don Jones, Htx.189-Vandy....7/26/09

It seems appropriate that I should endeavor to write a article about Health Care, with all the politician's trying to pass a health care bill in Washington. Try to remember, that I am a professional patient, being a Heart-Transplant and Pulmonary Hypertension Patient ! I deal with health care issues daily. Being a Heart-Transplant, I take a load of Drugs ! I also have health insurance through my Union`s (VEBA) Volunteer Employee`s Benefits Association, that also includes drug benefits. I have been very fortunate until now ! I have also been diagnosed with (PAH)Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Read carefully now, I take one drug called Cellcept 1000 mgs. twice daily(Cost my portion is now $1,922.00 for three (3) month supply ! You see there is now a generic drug available for cellcept, so my insurance says, I must go to the generic or pay the difference. I also take a drug called Sandimmune (Cyclosporin) 50mgs. twice daily and at times that fluctuates up and down more or less, cost my portion is now $377.00 for a 90 day supply, Generic also available. The problem is my Dr.`s at Vanderbilt, say they do not want me on these new generics, as they are having problems with them. So, who is running the health care system ? It is the Insurance Company`s ! Remember now, I`m retired, on a fixed income, I am 70 years young and of course on Medicare, My VEBA is Blue Cross Anthem/USWA. I have up until now, ordered all of my drugs through Express Scripts, through my VEBA ! Well folks, things are not looking very good, I have cut almost everything I can cut, I`m still not sure about being able to purchase my drugs from this point on ? My drugs for (PAH) are Ventavis, a one month supply is almost $10,000.00 per month ! Another drug for (PAH) is Revatio 20mg. tabs (3) times a day is $1,100.00 per month ! Now my insurance (VEBA) pays for these two drugs in its entirety! Thank God ! My question to you, my readers is, Do you still think there is nothing wrong with our health care system ? Remember, I take approximately 12 more prescription drugs daily. Now, I`m not complaining about taking these drugs, as they keep me going/alive ! Also, I`m just one person/patient ! Those who have no coverage/health care insurance, In this writers opinion, will surely die ! I received a bill from Ventavis drug company this week for almost $700.00 dollars, I called them, as I did`nt understand, I learned I have a deductible, that was my part, I could make payments, If I so desired ? I seem to be procrastinating, So to my point, I have insurance, and not too bad of insurance coverage. However it is not as good as when I retired. I retired early at age 53, disability retirement. Believe me folks, in this writers opinion, retirement sucks ! I deal daily with Dr.`s., Nurse`s, rehab specialist, drug stores, and insurance company`s. I check Wal-Mart competitive drug prices on-line, I now buy some drugs cheaper at Wal-Mart, than I can buy through (Express Scripts) ! Now, buying cheaper drugs at Wal-Mart may not be the smartest thing, I`ve ever done ? As a lot of their drugs come from China ! Who is running the Health Care System ? INSURANCE COMPANY`S, YOU BET`CHA ! I`m just one story, think of all those who have no health care insurance and cannot afford to buy it. I still enjoy a nice meal occasionally, it seems there will be decisions to be made, a nice meal or purchase my drugs ? Folks, I do not make this stuff up ! To my Politicians, Cong. John Tanner(D), District#8-Tennessee and Senators Lamar Alexander(R) and Bob Corker(R)Tennessee, you have the best health insurance, we/your constituents can buy you. Does any American Citizen, deserve less ? I think not !

It`s Health Care...Stupid !...7/24/09

Drop Dead ? Is That the Way Republican Reps. Talk to Seniors ?
by Tula Connell, Jul 23, 2009

Opponents of critically needed health care reform continue to demonstrate how out of touch they are with working America—and in a recent egregious comment by a House Republican, the opposition has also insulted the nation’s seniors.
Here’s what Florida Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite said Tuesday on the House floor:
“Last week, Democrats released a health care bill which essentially said to America’s seniors: ‘Drop dead.’ ” Tony Fransetta, president of the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, is outraged by Brown-Waite’s injudicious and downright ugly comment. Rep. Brown-Waite’s remarks earlier this week were not only inappropriate and inaccurate, but they were a misleading and divisive attempt to scare Florida’s seniors in the current debate over national health care reform.
As someone who represents more Medicare beneficiaries than any other member of Congress, Brown-Waite is unfortunately choosing political scare tactics over the pressing needs of her constituents. The bill she assailed, H.R. 3200, would make giant strides to improve the quality of life for Americans of all ages.
Do her comments mean that she opposes the bill’s closing of the “donut hole” coverage gap in Medicare Part D? One in four seniors spends part of each year simultaneously paying full price for their prescriptions while also paying their monthly premiums. Do her comments mean that she opposes creating an affordable Medicare buy-in for early retirees age 55-64 who cannot obtain or afford private insurance? There are nearly 5 million people in this age group who put their health at risk because of delays in diagnosing or treating chronic medical conditions such as diabetes. In sum, says Fransetta:
There is no place in this debate for Rep. Brown-Waite’s politics of divide and conquer. Nor for this type of insulting language.

Gun Control...H.R. 45...7/24/09

H.R. 45...7/24/09 = GUN CONTROL...

The bill looks particularly nasty. Some bits:

1. Require licensing for anybody that owns a gun.

2. Would require photographs and a thumbprint

3. Would require passage of a test that covers:

(A) the safe storage of firearms, particularly in the vicinity of persons who have not attained 18 years of age;


(B) the safe handling of firearms;


(C) the use of firearms in the home and the risks associated with such use;


(D) the legal responsibilities of firearms owners, including Federal, State, and local laws relating to requirements for the possession and storage of firearms, and relating to reporting requirements with respect to firearms; and


(E) any other subjects, as the Attorney General determines to be appropriate;
Sebastian highlights some other gems in this bill:
mandates licensing, registration and safe storage for handguns and semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines. It also provides for inspection, so you surrender your fourth amendment rights by being licensed. It also requires reporting of Lost and Stolen firearms, and you must inform the federal government if you change addresses.



Editorial : Better pay attention to this one folks. Uncle Sugar is now making a serious attempt to take your GUN`S ! Yes, I`m a Democrat that opposes GUN Control ! Now do not be shocked...there are a lot of Democrats who feel this way !

President Obama & Health Care !

Health Care...7/23/09

Last night, President Obama addressed the nation in a primetime press conference about health insurance reform. The President made crystal clear what's at stake in this debate: the fiscal well-being of our nation and the health of our families and small businesses. In case you missed it, take a look at what he had to say: Truth be told — with each passing day, more and more Americans are unable to get the health care they need, when they need it. Skyrocketing co-pays and deductibles and soaring insurance premiums are crushing our family budgets and small businesses. Unless we act now, these problems are guaranteed to get worse and worse. Under reform, American families will get the stability and security they deserve. They'll no longer have to fear losing health care coverage if they lose or switch jobs, going bankrupt if they become seriously ill, or being denied coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition. Reform will ensure all Americans have access to quality, affordable insurance. We all have a stake in this and for the 14,000 Americans who are losing their health insurance each day — reform can't wait. Make sure everyone you know understands the importance and urgency of health insurance reform: Watch the President's remarks and forward this email to your friends and family.

P.S. Health insurance reform is a complex issue and many of you have questions about what it means for you and your family. To help get you the answers you need, White House Health Reform Director, Nancy-Ann DeParle, is holding a live video chat through Facebook and WhiteHouse.gov. Join the chat today at 3pm ET.
> Contact the White House <

Zack Terry ~ Waiting on a Heart...At 18 Years of Age !

The Waiting Game !...7/22/09
By : Don Jones, Htx.#189-Vanderbilt

Although, I have never met Zack Terry, I feel like I know him. He is waiting for a new Heart at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville Tennessee. I have written him a letter, snail-mail and tried to encourage him and his family. Zack I believe is from Dresden Tennessee ! First of all, he is in the right place to be transplanted ! Vanderbilt is one of the most caring and proficient Hospitals I have ever been in. I know a little about heart transplantation, being transplanted myself on August 17, 1994 at Vanderbilt. I had to wait two(2) years 17 days 14 hours and twenty minutes. Not that I was keeping track of time. However, in my case, I waited at home during my entire waiting period. Zack, being 18 and waiting in the hospital, translates to his heart is in really bad shape. It is not just hard on Zack, but his entire family. At Zack's age, time is a mere commodity to have to hold. He is in the hospital on the drips, that's a Hickman directly into his heart to keep him alive. Zack and patients like Zack are commonly referred to as pole people. The ironic thing is that Zack went into Vanderbilt the day he graduated from high school. It is now 64 days and counting. My advice to him and his family, when things get really tough and you feel your worse, grab on and hang on like a bulldog ! The wait is terrible, but it is worth it. Life begins after your Heart-Transplant ! As I said earlier, I have never met Zach or his family, but, I know a little of what they are going through. The only down side to this is that someone must die to provide Zack a heart. Someone will die, and then make the supreme donation...A New Heart for Zach ! The picture at top is Zack and his Mom...in his room at Vandy.

Republicans Obstructionist...AGAIN ! This Time its Health Care

Senator Durbin: No Pre-Recess vote on Healthcare
By J. Taylor Rushing... 07/22/09

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Wednesday acknowledged for the first time that a pre-recess vote on healthcare reform is unlikely.“We’re going to take a little longer to get it right,” Durbin told The Hill when asked about the oft-stated goal of a vote on or before Aug. 7, when a monthlong Senate recess begins. “Initially we had hoped for a full vote by then, but I don’t think it’s going to be possible.” Delaying the vote until after Labor Day would all but erase hopes of getting a bill to President Obama by mid-October, since the House and Senate versions would have to be reconciled in conference negotiations — assuming they pass their chambers. Durbin said the bill was still largely on track, however, denying that momentum has stalled. "I don't think so," he said. "This is a complex challenge, and we're taking a reasonable approach with it. It would be better if some Republicans joined us instead of just criticizing." Asked Tuesday about the pre-recess deadline, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) had stuck to it, telling reporters “my desire is to get it done this work period … But the goal is not a deadline. The goal is comprehensive healthcare reform. People out there need it.”The realities of the Senate’s next few weeks makes Durbin’s position understandable. The Senate Finance Committee is now not expected to finish its markup of its healthcare bill until next week, at which point it would have to be reconciled with the version passed last week by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.What is likely, according to Democratic aides, is to have the unified version of that bill introduced on the floor before the recess, even if it is not brought to a final vote.But approximately 80 amendments are expected to the bill, which would take up several days of debate. Republicans are also likely to insist that all 40 of their members speak on the Senate floor about the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor before that vote, taking up still more time.

Editorial : Republicans are again, the party of the RICH ! I say, let the Senators and Congress cancell their Health Care Insurance, that we tax payers pay for, until they get this bill passed. I think things would speed up !

It`s Healthcare, Healthcare, Healthcare

What August Recess?
by: Bill Press
Healthcare, Healthcare, Healthcare.

It's the No. 1 issue these days. So important, in fact, that President Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and others are saying Congress has to get healthcare reform legislation passed before the August recess. But here's my question: What August recess? They've got it backwards. The goal should not be to get it done before leaving for a month's vacation. The goal should to get it done, period. Before anybody even thinks about leaving for vacation. And if it works out that Congress doesn't get a month's vacation this summer, or even a week's vacation, so be it. Delivering universal healthcare legislation is more important.What will happen if Congress does shut down for a month without fixing healthcare? According to one study, another 153,000 Americans would lose their existing healthcare coverage. In addition, 53,000 Americans would be forced into bankruptcy by healthcare costs. And 1,200 Americans would die without the healthcare they need. And members of Congress would rather go to the beach? Given the seriousness of the issue, it would be obscene for Congress to leave town without getting healthcare reform done.
No need to order Congress to remain in session. Instead, President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Leader Reid should simply challenge members of Congress to do the right thing: put the best interests of Americans ahead of their personal vacation plans. Don't order them to stay in Washington. Invite them — voluntarily! — to stay in Washington until healthcare reform legislation is on the president's desk. Those who go to the beach, instead, will do so at their own political peril.

Editorial : Congress and Senate, actually have the best health insurance that we/tax payers can buy them ! The only way they can lose it, it is to be voted out of office. However, that is an option !

Senator Alexander(R) Tennessee... Votes Wrong Again !

Alexander Votes Against Kennedy Health Care Bill

July 15th, 2009 - WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement regarding his vote against the Kennedy health care bill in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, of which he is a member: “This is the wrong first step on health care reform because it sets the stage for higher state taxes, more federal debt, government-run health care and Medicare cuts—and still leaves many Americans uninsured. Instead, we should have adopted the bipartisan Wyden-Bennett bill, which I cosponsored and which would give low-income Americans the opportunity to buy their own health care plans without creating a government program and without adding to the federal debt.” The bill passed out of the committee on a party-line vote of 13-10.

Editorial : You can contact him at > I urge you to contact him at the link below ! And advise him to come into the real world !

> http://alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home <

Health Care Petition ~ Please Sign

Health Care Crisis...Won`t You Please Sign...

With nearly 50 million Americans lacking health insurance, and premiums rapidly rising, it's time to address the health care crisis in our country. All Americans deserve access to affordable, quality health care -- and today, nearly one-in-six of us don't have it.This month, Congress is working on new reform legislationthat will make quality health care available and affordable for all Americans. In particular, Senators Dick Durbin, Patrick Leahy, and Chuck Schumer are working for a public health insurance option that would foster greater competition in the marketplace, create more choices for consumers, and lead to lower costs and better quality.Please join me in supporting their work to pass strong health care reform legislation this year by signing the online petition at http://ga3.org/campaign/healthpetition?source=hc_ty Thanks !

Click on title of this article or the link provided above !

Senator Lamar Alexander(R)Tennessee ! Hypocrite ! You Bet !

Senator Hypocrisy ~ Tennessee

Alexander: “Employee No Choice Act Is the Most Radical Piece of Legislation Before Congress” Says Congress Should Instead be Focused on the President’s Priorities like Health Care, Education, Fixing the Banks and Housing Markets.

March 10th, 2009 - WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said today that the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill championed by union leaders that would allow union bosses to intimidate and pressure workers, should be called the “Employee No Choice Act” and is the most radical piece of legislation before Congress. “In my view, this legislation we are considering today is the most radical piece of legislation before the Congress,” Alexander said at a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, of which he is a member. “It’s called the Employee Free Choice Act, but it ought to be called the Employee No Choice Act because it takes away the secret ballot.” Alexander is an original cosponsor of the Secret Ballot Protection Act, a bill designed to uphold the private vote by requiring that all efforts to organize unions be handled by secret ballot. It would reduce any public pressure that could be placed upon individuals by either their employer or fellow employees, which would reduce intimidation and strengthen freedom. “The Employee No Choice Act would take away the employee’s right to secret ballot, the right to force arbitration, and the question I would ask is: ‘Why are we having this debate right now?,’” Alexander continued. “There are plenty of very pressing issues being debated by Congress – all the President’s priorities like health care, education, fixing the banks and the housing market – yet apparently the first priority of the Democratic majority is to talk about taking away the secret ballot of union workers and employees and forcing arbitration. I think that’s a case of saying one thing and doing another. This is clearly the most divisive issue before the Senate and it will split us right down the middle and slow everything else important down that we ought to be working on if we continue.”

Editorial : If a Working Tennessean can vote for this so called Senator, and live with him/herself, shame ,shame, shame ! A working Tennessean voting for Alexander is like a chicken voting for Col. Sanders. The SECRET Ballot is not affected, If you want it ? Take out the word employee and replace it with employer ! This bill will keep employers from intimidating employees trying to join a union ! I`m not sure, if Senator Alexander is lying or just does`nt understand...? Maybe both...ya think ? Remember, he sponsored a bill to completely do away with minimum wage. So draw your own conclusions. Oh by the way, he oppose`s reforming health care ! We buy him the best health care that your money can buy ! Senator Alexander asked, "Why are we having this debate Now" ? Duh ! Sorry Senator, but, you are so out of touch with the working class, it is pathetic ! Perhaps you own business ?

Politician Watch !

AFL-CIO Launches New Online Voting Record Tool...
by Mike Hall, Jul 20, 2009


Our new AFL-CIO Voting Record online tool makes it faster and easier to access congressional votes on key working family issues and offers a range of options to fine-tune your search. The congressional scorecard tracks every vote cast on important working family issues since 2000. Find out if your U.S. House member supported the jobs-creating economic recovery package this past February or whether your senator was on the side of low-wage workers in the 2007 vote on a minimum wage increase.With the online tool, you can: Search by ZIP Code, year, state or key word. Find voting records by individual and congressional delegation. Get current and lifetime voting records. Read detailed descriptions. Keep up to date with this year’s interim voting record. Here are some of the specific actions you can take. Individual voting record: To see how your representative and senators voted, the quickest method is to search by ZIP Code. If your ZIP Code is split across two congressional districts, you’ll be asked to enter your street address to get the right representative. Congressional delegation: Check out the voting record for the entire state’s congressional delegation. Just go into the pull-down menu, select a chamber (House or Senate), a Congress by year and the state.
Current and lifetime voting records: You’ll get a list of the bills for the year you indicate and a chart showing whether the selected lawmaker supported the AFL-CIO position (a blue checkmark) or opposed (a red X). It also shows the lawmaker’s percentage of votes for the year you select and his or her lifetime record of supporting or opposing working families. Bill details: If you are looking for more detailed information on the particular bill, click on the bill’s title above the chart, and it will provide you with a more thorough description. Interim voting record: The new site also contains a regularly updated interim voting record that tracks votes cast so far this year.

Editorial : Now you can see how your representatives/politicians vote !

Lamars Alexander(R)Tennessee Blue Print for Disaster...

Alexander Says Kennedy Health Care Bill Means “Trillions in Debt and Putting Gov’t Between Patient and Doctor”

July 8th, 2009 - WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today made the following remarks on the floor of the U.S. Senate regarding the Kennedy health care bill: • “The Republican vision is that there won’t be someone in between a patient and a doctor who would get in the way of the treatment or the care you need. And our great fear is that the Democratic proposal would put the government in between you and your doctor—with the government in charge of rationing.” • “I think of the pregnant women in rural counties in Tennessee who have to drive all the way to Memphis or Nashville to get prenatal health care because their OB-GYN’s medical malpractice cases have driven up insurance costs, leaving them no way to get health care . . . . All the Republican proposals would assure that everyone would be covered—that preexisting conditions would not disqualify you. The issue before us is if we’re going to add trillions to the debt and put the government in between the patient and the doctor.” • “We’re concerned that the administration has proposed over the next ten years more new debt, three times as much new debt actually, as was spent in all of World War II (in today’s dollars).” • “40 percent of doctors won’t see Medicaid patients for all their services. 40 percent of doctors. So if we say, ‘Congratulations, we’re going to run up the federal debt and add a big state tax in order to stuff you into a program in which 40 percent of the doctors today won’t see you,’ it’s like giving you a ticket to a bus system that doesn’t have any buses.” • “This is the biggest issue before our country today. It is certainly the biggest issue before Congress. Republicans have our proposals on the table. We’re ready to go to work. We want to make sure that preexisting conditions don’t leave out qualified people. We want to make sure that everyone is covered and that we have access to health care at a price the family budget can afford. And we’re resolute in our determination not to add trillions to the national debt and not to dump new debt on the states.” Alexander is a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP).

Editorial : What a load of crap. Dear Senator Alexander(R) Tennessee, Stop being an obstructionist ! Is it too much to ask, for the same health insurance, that we Tennesseans provide you ? I think not ! Are you and Mitch McConnell(R) Kentucky brothers ?

U.S. Manufacturing Policy...Makes Sense to ME !

July 17, 2009
America Needs a National Manufacturing Policy. Now.
by : Senator Sherrod Brown (D) Ohio

Not too long ago, the ticket to the middle class was straightforward. Work hard, play by the rules, and you'll have something to show for it -- a good wage, a secure job and home, and a solid pension. Our nation -- and economy -- relied on workers around Ohio to build cars and appliances, to lay down rail lines and highways. Their work put them squarely in the middle class. Their work -- and a thriving manufacturing industry -- turned our nation into an economic superpower. Job loss and wage stagnation figures reflect a decade's long decline in U.S. manufacturing, a decline that has shattered the American dream for millions of Americans. What these figures don't reflect is the enormous potential the manufacturing sector holds for revitalizing our economy and ensuring our nation remains an economic superpower. Robust manufacturing capacity is not only essential if we are to achieve energy independence and sustain the independent ability to equip our military, it is the key to global competitiveness in emerging markets. From clean energy to medical and information technology to global infrastructure needs -- our nation's global competitiveness depends on our nation's manufacturing sector.To realize our full potential, we must stop ignoring the challenges that manufacturing faces. We need a national plan -- a national manufacturing policy -- that aligns federal actions with the goal of strengthening our manufacturing sector. Today, as Chairman of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Economic Policy, I am hosting a hearing to examine how best to develop a robust national manufacturing policy. Some ideas we'll consider: Permanent research and development tax credits. Making these credits permanent would incentivize investment in clean energy manufacturing industries like solar and wind power. A strong and reliable business climate promotes incubators of innovation that help entrepreneurs excel in a 21st Century economy -- like the more than twenty incubators located at Ohio's universities and businesses from Youngstown to Columbus to Dayton.
We must also ensure that Ohio's auto supply and component manufacturers -- companies that make brake pads and engine parts for cars and trucks -- have what they need to keep jobs in Ohio by helping them expand into the emerging clean energy industry. In June, I introduced the Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology (IMPACT) Act, which would provide a $30 billion revolving loan fund to help manufacturers that make gear boxes or windshields for cars to make those same components for wind turbines or solar panels.
Ohio's skilled workers are the backbone of our economy and our middle class. A national manufacturing policy must invest in them by linking highly-skilled workers with businesses in emerging industries. In April, I introduced the Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success (SECTORS) Act, which would allow businesses, workforce development boards, labor unions, and community colleges to determine workforce and community needs. SECTORS organizes workforce training around emerging industry clusters like biosciences and alternative energy manufacturing in the Cleveland area or solar power development in Toledo. By providing tailored workforce training for community and industry needs, we can create and retain jobs in Ohio and around the nation.
There should be a coordinated federal response when a community experiences massive job loss, the kind of job loss both Wilmington and Dayton have endured. The federal government has a strategy to assist communities hit by a natural disaster. We must follow the same protocol when a community is devastated by a major plant closing. President Obama's Director of Recovery for Auto Communities is working to coordinate the federal response to auto-related layoffs. We need the same level of coordination for other economically-distressed communities fighting for economic stability. Our nation has one of the most open markets in the world, but we don't practice trade in our national interest. Our trade laws are not enforced, our trade deficit is expanding, and our communities are crushed by job losses. A national manufacturing policy must include fair trade policies that promote American manufacturing. Later his month, I'll be introducing the Trade Reform, Accountability, Development, and Employment (TRADE) Act, which would ensure our trade agreements with Panama, Colombia, South Korea, or with any nation create a level playing field for U.S.manufacturing. A robust national manufacturing policy will invest in Ohio's skilled workers to build our way to new opportunities in new industries. A Pew Report on Clean Energy notes that from 1998-2007, clean energy jobs grew in Ohio by 7.3 percent while all other jobs fell 2.2 percent. The report notes that Ohio is only one of seven states with such growth, and ranks fourth nationally in number of clean energy jobs. From public support to private research and development to venture capital investment, Ohio is forging a path to a revitalized manufacturing sector.
But Ohio's communities, skilled workers, and entrepreneurs need a national manufacturing policy now. It's a policy that promotes manufacturing, once again, as a ticket to the middle class.

Health Care Now....7/17/09 Seniors Demand It !

Retirees Praise Health Care Bills from U.S. House, Senate HELP Panel

Both the U.S. House and the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee released health care reform bills this week. The House plan was unveiled on Tuesday, and the Senate HELP Committee approved its bill on Wednesday on a 13-10 party-line vote. Edward F. Coyle, the Executive Director of the Alliance, issued an enthusiastic statement supporting both bills on Wednesday, saying, “Retirees are encouraged by two strong health care bills working their way through Congress. The legislation approved by the Senate HELP Committee and the reform package unveiled by the House Democratic leadership combine to take giant strides to improve the quality of life for Americans of all ages. Between these two bills there are bold steps to make long-term care affordable; create a public plan option to keep a competitive balance with private insurers; help early retirees buy-in to affordable Medicare coverage; and begin to close the Medicare Part D donut hole. Both bills support the parts of our system which are currently working, specifically, employer-provided health coverage for workers and retirees.” The bills are drawing fierce opposition from business groups and many Republicans, however. The House bill would pay for half its cost by raising $544 billion over the next decade with a graduated income surtax on the wealthiest Americans: families with adjusted gross incomes exceeding $350,000 and individuals making more than $280,000. On Thursday, Alliance members in key Congressional districts called their Member of Congress to request that the House include the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act, H.R. 1721, in the health care bill. The CLASS Act would create a voluntary insurance program to help those in need receive home and community-based long term care.

Editorial : I only want Health Care as good as I/we pay for our United States Senators ! I really don`t think, that is unreasonable !

Goodyear Moving Tires To China ! You Bet !

Goodyear closing Philippines plant
Associated Press, 07.17.09
AKRON, Ohio --

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. said Friday that would close a tire plant in the Philippines as part of its strategy to reduce production capacity amid weaker global demand.The plant closure in Las Pinas will cut nearly 2 million units of Goodyear's annual capacity. The Akron, Ohio-based tire maker has stated that it would reduce production by 15 million to 25 million units over the next two years. Goodyear said in a statement that some production from the plant will be transferred to other, lower-cost plants in Asia.The closure will result in an approximately $20 million charge, which Goodyear will take in the third quarter as a non-cash asset write-off. That charge is in addition to a $60 million charge Goodyear is expected to record in the same quarter related to downsizing its Union City, Tenn., plant. Shares of Goodyear fell 5 cents to $12.56 in morning trading.

Editorial : Even The Philippines cannot compete with China/Asia ! Our race to the bottom continues !

Manufacturing a Better Future for America !

Manufacturing a Better Future for America
by: James Parks, Jul 15, 2009

The United States cannot revive its economy without first rebuilding the nation’s manufacturing base, several experts say. While most of us understand how devastating the loss of a plant can be to a community and to the economy, policymakers don’t get it, they add. During a roundtable discussion yesterday in Washington, D.C., several contributors to a new book, Manufacturing a Better Future for America, spelled out the case for a bold new U.S. industrial policy. Simply put: For nearly 300 years, the United States invested in producing goods and, as a result, became the richest nation in history. But for the past few decades, policymakers have systematically dismantled our manufacturing base through bad tax policies and short-sighted trade agreements that encourage consumption of cheap foreign imports and provide incentives for U.S.-based companies to export jobs. As a result, some 40,000 U.S. manufacturing plants closed between 2001 and 2008, resulting in the loss of millions of family-supporting jobs. From 2001 to 2007, some 2.3 million jobs were lost just from the nation’s huge trade deficit with China alone. Manufacturing is the economic engine of the United States, and the Obama administration must commit to an industrial strategy that puts people back to work and focuses on making things, says United Steelworkers (USW) President Leo Gerard. Scott Paul, executive director of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), which sponsored the roundtable and published the book, points out that “much of the conventional wisdom about manufacturing is wrong or out of date.” To build a strong economy that works, we must understand what’s really happening today. A big factor in the decline of manufacturing is so-called free trade. The reality is that in a global economy, some other countries don’t always play by the rules, says Economic Strategy Institute President Clyde Prestowitz, who co-authored the chapter on trade. Many nations are actively pursuing investment and production while the United States depends on imports and lets its manufacturing move offshore, he says. At the same time, those nations have laws that restrict the amount of goods that can be imported from other countries. Prestowitz quotes a top executive of a U.S.-based company building a plant in China saying: “Everybody knows that if you are going to sell anything in China, you have to make it in China,” and the same thing is true in many of the U.S. trading partners. Those countries have thriving manufacturing bases while U.S. lawmakers allow ours to dwindle away, he adds. Several of the panelists pointed out the Obama administration’s hesitation to insist that the nation’s automakers use U.S.-made parts as an example of the need for the White House to more actively support U.S. manufacturing. Peter Navarro, a professor at the University of California-Irvine, who wrote the chapter on foreign incentives, points out that China, for example, manipulates its currency to keep its prices low and make imports expensive, benefits from lax environmental and health rules and forces companies to turn over their technology to do business in China. At the same time, the promise of new green jobs is not enough to revive the economy alone, Prestowitz said. It actually could increase the trade deficit because so many of the green materials are made overseas. While U.S. workers may get jobs installing green technology, the real wealth is going to the producers. The bottom line, says Richard McCormick, editor of the book, is that the United States is broke because it has stopped producing what it consumes. The mindset among America’s economic elite that the country does not need an industrial base has put the country and the world economy in a ditch. Only with a revitalized manufacturing base can America assure itself a prosperous and hopeful future. The AFL-CIO long has called for new policies to revitalize manufacturing, including: Fair trade policies that reduce the U.S. trade deficit, protect U.S. trade laws and require inclusion of enforceable workers’ rights and environmental standards in trade agreements.
Revised tax laws that eliminate incentives for corporations to move production overseas and punish those that do; opposition to reform of the Foreign Sales Corporation (FSC) tax that would encourage shifting manufacturing jobs overseas; replacing FSC with tax incentives that help American manufacturers create U.S. jobs and help workers cope with retiree health care and pension costs. Legislation that penalizes companies that incorporate overseas to avoid taxes and denies government contracts to these companies. Strengthening the manufacturing base for national defense and homeland security through procurement reform, enhanced “Buy American” requirements, an updated assessment of critical defense manufacturing capabilities and limits to “offsets” that drain critical technology and good jobs.

Editorial : Saving America; One Job at a Time ! End so called Free Trade now !

Goodyear Show me The Money $

Goodyear = Show Me The Money $

By: Steve Fry July 15, 2009 -

Local, county and state officials, in a Wednesday ceremony with officials from Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., praised financial cooperation that will allow the Topeka plant to modernize its operations. About 60 plant workers, officials from the Goodyear home office in Akron, Ohio, and government representatives gathered for a ceremony at the Goodyear plant in Topeka. "We're very pleased that Goodyear is expanding its operations," Mayor Bill Bunten said. "It's been an important part of (the local) economic base for 50-some years, and we hope it is for another 50 years." Local legislators obtained $14.2 million in incentives for the Goodyear plant through the Kansas Investments in Major Projects and Comprehensive Training (IMPACT) program. The incentives will allow Goodyear to make capital investments of up to $250 million for modernization for operations in the Topeka plant and to retain up to 1,400 Topeka employees for at least 10 years.

Editorial : Thanks to Buddy for this one. Are you listening/reading this Tennessee ?

Health Care Now !... 7/15/09

House Unveils Health Care Bill with Public Option, No Benefits Tax; Vote Sought by Recess
by Mike Hall, Jul 14, 2009

Comprehensive health care reform took a significant step forward this afternoon when House leaders unveiled the final draft of a bill that contains a public health insurance plan option and shared responsibility, including an employer “pay or play” requirement—while not taxing the health care benefits working families receive through their job. A vote could come by the end of July.The bill closely follows the health care blueprint developed by the House Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees and includes cost containment and insurance market reforms to help stop private insurance industry abuses. For a closer look at the House bill, click here. Says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) about the bill: Over the coming weeks, Congress will continue working with President Obama to make health care reform work for middle-class families in America….We have a path to success: lowering costs for consumers and businesses; giving greater choice to Americans, including keeping your current doctor or plan if you like them; improving the quality of your care; putting doctors, not insurance companies, back in charge. The money spent on providing health care coverage is tax-deductible to the employer, and the employee is not taxed on it. Some 160 million people have health care benefits tied to the workplace. But many congressional Republicans and conservative groups have pushed for a health care benefits tax. Rather than taxing workers’ benefits provided by employers, the House bill calls for a small tax surcharge on individuals making more than $280,000 a year and married couples with annual incomes over $350,000. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney says: The House proposal meets President Obama’s goals by controlling runaway health care costs, offering the American people real choices and expanding access to quality health care. It does not ask the American people to pay more for what they already have. In fact, this legislation offers the real promise of improving quality, increasing access and reducing costs, all at the same time. The bill’s introduction comes at a time when the health care industry, including the private health insurance community, is spending $1.4 million a day on lobbying efforts, according to a recent report in the Washington Post. According to disclosure records, firms spent more than $126 million in the first quarter of 2009 to pay for more than 350 former lawmakers, congressional staffers and executive branch officials to lobby Congress. Many of the firms are trying to block or weaken health care reform, especially provisions supporting a public health plan and pay or play. As the Post says: The aim of the lobbying blitz is simple: to minimize the damage to insurers, hospitals and other major sectors while maximizing the potential of up to 46 million uninsured Americans as new customers. Although many firms have vowed to help cut costs, major players such as PhRMA [Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America], America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and others remain opposed to the public-insurance option. At a news conference last week, President Obama said many of the groups that oppose comprehensive health care reform are deliberately sowing fear in the public. He said that while most people support fixing the nation’s broken health are system, “they’re also afraid of the unknown.” And we have a long history in America of scaring people that they’re going to lose their doctor, they’re going to lose their health care plans, they’re going to be stuck with some bureaucratic government system that’s not responsive to their needs. And overcoming that fear—fear that is often actively promoted by special interests who profit from the existing system—is a challenge….My biggest job is to explain to the American people why this is so important and give them confidence that we can do better than we’re doing right now. House leaders hope to have the bill on the floor by the last week of July and a final vote before adjourning July 31 for the August recess. Congress reconvenes Sept. 8. Henry Waxman, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said, “We cannot go home for a recess unless the House and the Senate” act on health care. In the Senate, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee continues to work on its version of health care reform that also includes a public health insurance option and a pay or play provision. Last week, committee Democrats defeated an attempt by Republicans to kill the public plan option. Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) said a public plan would foster competition in the health insurance industry, promote efficiency in the market, along with innovation and fair competition, and guarantee a wellness and prevention dimension that would save money. The Finance Committee still is developing its version of health care reform legislation.

Hank Williams Jr.~ Tells It Like It Is !

Hank Jr. Telling it like it is !

Thanks to a good friend, I saw this on YouTube...I tried to post the video..alas...no luck ! Just click on the title of this article or the link provided below !

> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvNFTj8XvNk <

Senators Alexander & Corker(R`s) Tennessee...No Hurry for Health Care !

Alexander & Corker...Out of Touch ! They have Great Insurance ! You pay for It !

When asked yesterday about the urgency of reforming our nation's health care system Senator Lamar Alexander said "there is no rush." !

Last week, Senator Bob Corker agreed we need to reform our broken health care system, but said getting it done this year will be a "heavy lift."

Join other Tennesseans this Wednesday outside the offices of our Senators in Nashville and Jackson for a "lunch break" rally to make sure they know that now is the time to reform health care!Give your lunch break to reform! Attend one of Wednesday's "Prescription for Change Rallies."Nashville Rally - 3322 W End Ave, Nashville Tell us you are coming: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102638786806&s=14618&e=001JG80Q2MhlOL7iA0T75914dk49XNkZXDL5_X11T8y5nxKvs6_kT9F1e0D_NCEMQvIsSy2qQypgCeD3jrRgXDuO3p6dg8_pgZisTe8v06UoqvVS0cduGGKPQ==
- or call 615-244-9791 Jackson Rally - 109 South Highland Avenue, JacksonTell us you are coming: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102638786806&s=14618&e=001JG80Q2MhlOJeldoGz76BmcE8_5hkbUGcIxebX9dRj0cYsVc0sgmCDVNwewIMmdgxgMUth7nRiAIMi7HNTF1j7S5qDw4_XRtQVOu6uDiOaOwtD4sjze3jzSm2-SVRFYqy -

or call 731-664-5107 In Tennessee, health care is in crisis. Our families have seen insurance premiums go up over five times faster than our wages. Our small businesses pay about 18% more in premiums than big corporations and make up more than half of all uninsured. Our Seniors are forced to spend around 30% of their income on on out-of-pocket health care costs. All this, but our Senators think we can put off health care reform for yet another year. Our Senators need to hear from Tennesseans like you that reforming health care this year will end soaring out-of-pocket medical expenses and help jump start our economy.Together we can bring affordable, accessible coverage to Tennessee, but only if our elected officials in DC hear our voices. Join us!

How to Pay for Universal Health Care !...7/11/09

House to Target Wealthy on Healthcare
By Jeffrey Young

The House will propose raising taxes on people earning more than $350,000 a year to pay $540 billion for healthcare reform, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) said Friday. House Democrats had been weighing a plethora of other tax increases, such as levies on sugary soft drinks and alcohol, that raised hackles within their caucus. Instead, Rangel said Democrats will seek to enact one large tax increase targeting wealthier workers to generate the revenue they need to finance their $1 trillion-plus healthcare reform bill.“We have decided that instead of putting pieces of different revenue raisers together, that the best that we can do [is] we would have graduated surtaxes starting at [$]350],000],” Rangel said. The tax hikes would begin in 2011 and raise $540 billion over 10 years, he said after a meeting with Democratic committee members.The price tag of the bill is expected to be around $1 trillion. Democrats have already tentatively assembled a package of spending cuts worth around $500 billion, mostly from Medicare and Medicaid. The combination of the tax increase and the spending cuts would provide House Democrats with most, if not all, of the money they need to meet their pledge that healthcare reform would not add to the budget deficit over the next decade.By targeting high-income earners, the House enables President Obama to keep his campaign promise not to raise taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 a year.There would be different surtax rates, ranging from 1 percent to 3 percent, for workers with annual earnings of $350,000, $500,000 and $1 million, Rangel said. Surtaxes are calculated by adding the relevant percentage to workers’ regular yearly tax bill.House Democrats were originally scheduled to release their full healthcare reform bill Friday, including details about paying for the legislation, with markups in three committees slated to begin Monday but were forced to delay because of dissension in their own ranks. Democratic leaders now expect to unveil their revised bill Monday.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) promised Obama that the lower chamber would pass a healthcare reform bill by July 31. After Friday’s delay, Democrats have a dwindling number of days to accomplish that goal.Obama said his goals and timeline remain doable. “There are going to be some tough negotiations in the days and weeks to come, but I'm confident that we're going to get it done,” Obama said during a news conference in Italy Friday Nevertheless, Obama acknowledged his August deadline could slip: “I never believe anything is do-or-die but I really want to get it done by the August recess.”Centrist House Democrats objected to numerous aspects of the bill, including the creation of a government-run health insurance plan, and said the measures does not go far enough in containing the rising cost of healthcare.“We want to make sure we’re containing costs and slowing the rate of healthcare down to the rate of inflation as best we can. We think we have to do that before we do anything else,” Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.), who is spearheading the Blue Dogs’ healthcare efforts, said after a meeting with House leaders Friday.The protest from the Blue Dog Democrats prompted Pelosi and the committee chairmen to postpone action while they try to satisfy the centrists’ complaints. Blue Dog met with Pelosi Thursday night and with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Rangel, Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-Calif.) on Friday.“They were receptive. They understand they’ve got to change the bill if they want to pass it,” Ross said. “I expect more intense negotiations to occur over the next week or two.”Ross indicated that the slipping timetable was not a concern to him: “We’ve been trying to reform healthcare since Teddy Roosevelt. I think we’ll be okay if we delay it a week or two.” Rangel said that his committee was taking their concerns to heart and would modify the bill to assure the support of centrist Democrats. “As long as it didn’t do damage to the bill and was consistent with where the Speaker and the president would want us, we don’t have any problem with that,” he said.Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), a Ways and Means Committee member, predicted that the three House committees would still be able to begin marking up the healthcare bill next week and passing it before the House departs for its August recess“We’re still operating under the timeline and we want to get this done before we adjourn,” said Larson, adding that Hoyer’s target date for a floor vote is July 29. But much work needs to be done to win over the centrists, he added. “We’re not singing kumbaya yet.”Lingering bad feelings among centrists about how the House leadership managed the writing of the recently passed climate change bill are partly fueling the protests over healthcare, said Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.). “A lot of their concerns emanate from, frankly, they don’t want to see the same process that took place on energy. That has caused a certain about of consternation,” Larson said.Centrists threatened a revolt over the legislation until Pelosi and Waxman agreed to changes demanded by Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and others.Blue Dogs do not feel as though the leadership or the committee chairmen are taking their views seriously early enough in the process, Shuler said. “They were going to unveil [the bill] today, originally, and we have our first meeting” that same day, he complained.

Editorial : I can hear the republicans now, taxing the rich is wrong. Sorry that dog won`t hunt anymore. The rich have so many tax loop holes now, it is pathetic. The only other thing, I can attest to is that the rich could move their accounts off-shore.... Opps, my mistake, they have done that already !

Multi-Transplants ~ Not Fiction Folks !

Transplants Galore !

Johns Hopkins leads first 16-patient, multi center 'domino donor'kidney transplant7/9/2009 11:50:39 AM Surgical teams at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City and Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit successfully completed the first eight-way domino kidney transplant. The transplant involved eight donors — 3 men and 5 women along with eight organ recipients — 3 men and 5 women. All patients are in good condition and are recovering as anticipated, according to Robert A.Montgomery, MD, PhD, director of the Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Transplant Center."We performed a similar six-way domino procedure involving three hospitals earlier this year," says Montgomery. "We managed to perform all those surgeries on the same day. However, adding two more recipients, two more donors and another hospital meant that we needed a multi hospital team of eight anesthesiologists, 16 nurses and nine surgeons. The logistics being that much more complicated,we decided it was best to spread the surgeries over several days,the first on June 15 and the last, July 6."Aside from sheer logistics, performing large numbers of transplants on one day puts a lot of strain on the doctors, nurses and staff at each hospital and also ties up too many operating rooms, said Montgomery.He says this new model will serve as a blueprint for a national KPD program in which kidneys will be transported around the country,resulting in an estimated 1,500 additional transplants each year.One of the donors in this procedure was the Pamela Paulk, the vice president of human resources at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins Health System. Paulk, a long-time supporter of kidney donation, decided to donate to a friend and colleague who lost function of his kidneys three years ago."I always knew I was going to donate. I was just waiting for the right time, and this was the right time," says Paulk, whose surgery took place on June 22. Paulk joins roughly 100,000 Americans since1988 who have generously donated a kidney to needy recipients,according to data from the UNOS Web site.Johns Hopkins flew one kidney to Henry Ford, one kidney to INTEGRIS Baptist and one kidney to Barnes-Jewish, In exchange, Henry Ford,INTEGRIS Baptists and Barnes Jewish each flew a kidney to Johns Hopkins.The 16 surgeries were performed on four different dates, June 15, June 16, June 22 and July 6. The 10 surgeons in charge included four at Johns Hopkins, two at INTEGRIS Baptist, two at Barnes-Jewish and two at Henry Ford.Johns Hopkins surgeons performed one of the first KPD transplant sin the United States in 2001, the first triple-swap in 2003, the first double and triple domino transplant in 2005, the first five-way domino transplant in 2006 and the first six-way domino transplant in 2007. Johns Hopkins also performed the first multi hospital, transcontinental three-way swap transplant in 2007and the first multi hospital, transcontinental six-way swap transplant in 2009.Nearly 100 medical professionals took part in the transplants,including immunogeneticists, anesthesiologists, operating room nurses, neurologists, transfusion medicine physicians, critical care doctors, nurse coordinators, technicians, social workers,psychologists, pharmacists, financial coordinator's and administrative support people.

> http://nephronline.com/news.asp?N_ID=2991 <